John C. Watson was quoted in a Feb. 23 article by Politifact about the journalism ethics related to publicizing the names of minors who are accused of crimes or implicated in other newsworthy wrongdoing. Politifact is a fact-checking site associated with The Poynter Institute.

Rhonda Zaharna’s paper "Narratives of Identity in Cultural Diplomacy and Cultural Relations" was selected as the best paper by the ICA’s Public Diplomacy Interest Group. Rhonda will receive the award at the ICA conference later this spring.

Bill Gentile conducted a panel discussion titled "Sounding the Alarm," about remilitarization of Central America and the spread of authoritarian rule contributing to migration crises in the United States. The event marked the 10th anniversary of SOC's membership in the Pulitzer Center's Campus Consortium. Panelists were:

SOC PhD alumna Kara Andrade, one of the very first winners of the AU/Pulitzer Center Fellowships with more than two decades of experience in various sectors, including journalism and media, social entrepreneurship, public health, research and development, launching and supporting projects in more than 20 countries.

Douglas Farah is the Founder and president of IBI Consultants, co-author of the recent report, “Remilitarization in Central America." Prior to founding IBI Consultants, Farah worked as a foreign correspondent and investigative reporter for The Washington Post covering Central and South America, West Africa, and radical Islamic finances.

Dr. Betilde Muñoz-Pogossian, Director of the Department of Social Inclusion of the Secretariat for Access to Rights and Equity at the Organization of American States (OAS). She is responsible for directing the work of the OAS in matters of social inclusion and access to human rights with special consideration to populations in vulnerable situations.

Steven Dudley (Moderator), the co-founder and co-director of InSight Crime and senior research fellow at American University’s Center for Latin American and Latino Studies (CLALS). Dudley is a former bureau chief of the Miami Herald in the Andean Region, a former fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and a current member of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

Panelists and audience members at the recent Sounding the Alarm roundtable in the SIS Founders' Room

Assistant Professor Amy Eisman and Adjunct Professor Bill Miller held a Law and Ethics Forum for members of AU's student media organizations Tuesday. Miller guided the students through some of the legal issues that journalists face. Eisman emphasized the importance of thinking through journalistic decisions with an ethical focus. The students also received feedback from both Eisman and Miller on legal and ethical situations they've experienced in their newsrooms.

Adjunct Professor Bill Miller and Assistant Professor Amy Eisman speak to AU student media members at a Law and Ethics Forum

Junior Journalism major Gabe Castro-Root has been awarded the 2024 AU SOC White House Correspondents’ Investigative Journalism scholarship. The prestigious student award includes a $5,000 scholarship, mentorship from a White House press corps member, an awards luncheon, and an invitation to the annual White House Correspondents' Association gala dinner on April 27. The award highlights a student who shows promise as an investigative journalist.

Castro-Root, from San Francisco, is a reporting intern at SOC’s Investigative Reporting Workshop, who has worked previously as a metro reporting intern at the San Francisco Chronicle and a business reporting intern at The Charlotte Observer. He also served as local news editor for The Eagle, AU’s award-winning student newspaper.

Journalism Professor Chris Halsne oversees the annual scholarship selection. Judges included Halsne, Associate Division Director Whitney Harris Christopher and Assistant Professor Amy Eisman. Professor Lynne Perri wrote Castro-Root’s reference.

Gabe Castro-Root, AU SOC Journalism Junior